Moonlight Coral
by Flootin
Summary: When Coral, an Octoling who's lost her memories, wakes up in an abandoned subway facility, she decides to attempt to go to the "promised land." She'll meet many new friends on her journey, but also some unexpected foes. (This aims to be a reimagining/retelling of the events that transpire during the Splatoon 2 Octo Expansion campaign, but with some new scenarios put in too. Enjoy!)
1. The Noticeable Tells

" _ **Pale summer moonlight shimmers on the seafloor,**_

 _ **An octopus, unaware that dawn will bring capture,**_

 _ **Rests within a trap, dreaming fleeting dreams..."**_

Our story starts deep underground, where a poor Octoling lies unconscious, in what seems to be a leather crop-top and leather leggings. Her hair is a bright turquoise, like dormant coral on the ocean floor. The 8-limbed cephalopod slowly starts to stir, her eyes being met by the sight of an interesting face: an old, senile-looking cuttlefish.

"Ahoy! Octoling! Up and at 'em, ya lazy whiffle-whaffle," yelled the old man. His glasses slowly fell as he flailed about, seemingly at random.

At this point, the young Octoling had completely woken up, wanting to question the cuttlefish. "Ugh… Wha-?" was all she could manage to say before she got interrupted by the old man.  
"This fight ain't over yet!" the cuttlefish exclaimed at the confused cephalopod, "Prepare for a royal Squidbeak-style whoopin'!"

The Octoling could only scream, "Woah, what do you even mean, mister?!"

The cuttlefish, not seeming to hear her, continued his babbling. "But there's no honor in defeating an unarmed opponent… and you seem to have lost your weapon somewhere around here."  
"So, am I off the hook, then? Can I get out of here?" the Octoling questioned.  
"Wait a minute… Where IS here, anyway?" the cuttlefish questioned in response.

The Octoling thought for a moment, looking around before shrugging. "It almost looks like some sort of underground subway station," she replied.

"That's odd… Last time I checked, you were battling my protege, Agent 3, in Octo Valley," the cuttlefish explained, "Then the both of you were suddenly attacked by someone. I don't know who it was, though."  
The Octoling stood up, brushing herself off before a deep sigh escaped her mouth. "Well, we must've come from somewhere, right?" the cephalopod exclaimed, "Perhaps we can call a truce until we manage to escape?"  
"That sounds like a mighty-fine idea to me, at least for now," the old cuttlefish agreed, "You can call me Cap'n Cuttlefish, but just calling me Craig works too."  
"And my name… it's… I don't remember at all," the Octoling admitted.

"Hmmm… How about I call you Coral?" Cuttlefish suggested, "I mean, your ink is so bright and blue, kinda like coral."  
"That does sound like a nice name… Alright, you can call me Coral, then!" the freshly-named Octoling said, now having a warm smile on her face.  
'Okay, then that's settled! How 'bout you move onwards, see if you can find any clues as to how we can escape," Cuttlefish suggested, "I'll catch up to you in a little bit."

"I think I got it!" Coral exclaimed, starting to move deeper into the seemingly-abandoned facility, where unexpected technology awaits her arrival.

* * *

After travelling in the subway for what felt like hours, Cap'n Cuttlefish and Coral find themselves on what seems to be an empty subway platform.

"I noticed something odd about our earlier encounter," Cuttlefish noted, "Y'see, before you came to, I swear I heard you humming the Calamari Inkantation. Perhaps the heavenly melody was etched into your soul?"

"Honestly, anything could have happened while I was unconscious," Coral replied, "For all I know, you could've been whacking me with that stick of yours the whole time."

Cap'n Cuttlefish just pretends that Coral's last sentence didn't exist. "I've heard many a tale of Octarians whose lives were changed by those funky beats," Cuttlefish explains, "Perhaps the same happened to you, during the battle between Agent 3 and DJ Octavio from a couple years ago."

"Maybe it did, maybe it didn't… But I don't remember anything of the sort," Coral reluctantly admits.

"Well, either way, it must have some sort of connection," Cuttlefish exclaimed, "Maybe you didn't deserve to have Agent 3 sicced on you after all. We'll just have to wait and see."

A large group of beeping and chirping noises start to fill the area. Cuttlefish and Coral turn around to see what looks like an old-fashioned telephone. Coral starts walking closer to the phone, Cuttlefish being close behind. Once the young Octoling gets near the phone, she reaches out to touch it, when suddenly, the phone seemingly plays a little jingle before flailing around. This makes Coral jump back in shock and confusion, her eyes widened and her mouth agape.

"GREETINGS, NUMBER 10,008," the telephone yelled flatly, "YOUR CURRENT LOCATION IS: DEEPSEA METRO CENTRAL STATION."

"So _that's_ what this place is called, huh?" Coral realized, "Nice name for an abandoned mess."

"MY PRIMARY FUNCTION IS TO FACILITATE YOUR JOURNEY TO THE PROMISED LAND," the phone explained, "YOU CAN CALL ME TELLER. PLEASED TO MAKE YOUR ACQUAINTANCE."

"Well, nice to meet ya, Teller!" Cuttlefish exclaims.

[Activating "Contemporary Speech Mode"]  
Coral and Cuttlefish seem confused as to what Teller is doing, until…

"Yo, what is crackalacking, home skillet?" Teller weirdly spoke, "Let us bounce to the promised land fo sho!"

"Wait, what's going on here? Why are you now speaking all weird?" Coral questioned.

"I am all 'bout it 'bout it, so listen while I [SLANG_NOT_FOUND] you the facts!" Teller continued, "You've spent your whole life in the dark, your eyes closed to the new hotness that awaits."

"'Spent my whole life in the dark?' What does he mean?" Coral wondered confusedly.

"The promised land: A utopia of light beyond your wildest dreams. It is all that and a bag of cool beans!"

"Now that is quite a deal!" Cuttlefish excitedly yelled.

"I will take you to the promised land now…" Teller exclaimed.  
"Huh, that almost seemed a bit too eas-" Coral began.

"NOT!" Teller screamed, "Hahaha! Psyche out!"

"Wait, so then what do we do?!" Coral curiously asked.

"Y'see, only cats who have proven themselves in this facility can reach the promised land," Teller explained, "You dig, dog?"

"Aha, I understand now," said Cuttlefish, "Thank you for the explanation, Teller!"  
"There were 10,007 applicants before you, so you're officially #10,008!" Teller continued, "Pretty cool, right?"

"There is something pretty rewarding about being at such a high number…" Coral admitted to herself.

"This opportunity comes once in a lifetime, yo!" Teller claimed, "Good luck, and [SLANG_NOT_FOUND]."  
"Well, okay then. I guess we better get go-" Coral started again.

"Here is your CQ Card and CQ-80," Teller interrupted. "They're so bad."

A weird card and cellphone then slide out from Teller's speaker. Coral picks them up almost immediately after.

"Guard them with your lizzife," Teller explained, "because if you lose them, you'll be [ERROR]. Now come on, ride the train. I'm outie 5000."

"Coral, did you get all that?" Cuttlefish asked, "It seemed like quite a beakful to take in."

"Despite the weird terms, I _think_ I understand what he was trying to say," Coral replied.

"Perhaps, when talking about the 'promised land,' he meant the surface," Cuttlefish added.

Just as he had said that, a train slowly made its way to the platform. The door to one of its cars quickly opened wide, as if begging Coral and Cuttlefish to get on.

"After you, Craig," Coral suggested, "Let's get to the surface!"

And so, the two boarded the train as it closed its doors and exited the station. The great adventure begins here.


	2. Octo Duo Testfire!

Things have already gotten freaky as Coral and Cap'n Cuttlefish have found themselves riding with what seem to be malformed jellyfish, a blobfish, and other weird passengers. All this starts to make Coral unsure of what she's getting into.  
"U-Um… I don't like this, Craig…" Coral admits, a hint of fear making it into her voice.

"Now, now lass, they seem pretty passive to me," Cuttlefish assures to the scared Octoling,

"They just seem to be sitting there, minding their own business."

Coral thought for a moment, looking around. "Yeah, I suppose you're right," Coral admits with a large sigh.

Eventually, the doors open to the car adjacent to them, a gelatin-like, blue creature moving towards the two. It then raises its front into the air, leaving Coral and Cuttlefish confused at how its tiny conductor's hat doesn't fall off.

"Thank you for choosing the Deepsea Metro, run by the Kamabo Corporation," the creature flatly says, "My name is C.Q. Cumber, and I'll be your conductor for today. You two must be new passengers, am I correct?"  
"Um, yes we are," Coral replies, "I'm Coral, and this is Cap'n Cuttlefish."  
"And I assume that you two aim to reach the fabled promised land, right?" C.Q. questions.

"That's right, bucko!" Cuttlefish yells.

"Well, in that case, I must tell you about how you'd be able to manage that feat," C.Q. explains, "You see, the Deepsea Metro services run through a massive testing facility, which is owned by our founders, Kamabo Co. In order to reach the promised land, you'll have to go through a series of tests, each being harder than the others."  
"I guess that can't be all bad, right?" Coral exclaims.

"I wasn't finished yet," C.Q. continues, "Anyways, by going through these tests, you will find four objects. These are known as 'thangs,' and will help guide you to the promised land. We will be stopping at the first test in just a few minutes, so take that time to prepare."

"You go ahead and do these tests, Coral," Cuttlefish suggests, "I'll stay behind and provide useful support."  
Coral nods in response to the Cap'n as she begins focusing on the task ahead of her.

A flat, monotone voice then starts yelling over the intercom, "Attention all passengers, we are now at Fake Plastic Station. Any test subjects that plan to begin their journey, please exit the train. Thank you."  
"See you soon, Craig," Coral exclaims.

"Break a leg out there!" Cuttlefish yells to her as she exits the train car, wondering what this test will truly entail.

* * *

Coral steps down from the train and onto the equipper, nabbing herself a Splattershot and a Splat Bomb. As she steps off of the equipper, her eyes seem to lock onto a silhouette. It seemed to be beyond the turnstile, most likely going through the test already. She decides to turn her vision away from the figure, noticing C.Q. Cumber on the wall.

"Greetings, 10,008. You must be wondering how you get into these tests, correct?" C.Q. assumes.

"Yeah, because I highly doubt these things will just let me through," Coral replies, having a curious look on her face.

Cumber explains, "Well, that C.Q. Card of yours is meant for C.Q. Points, the currency used for entering tests. Pass a test, and you will get more C.Q. Points to enter more tests. However, if you fail a test… let's just say I'm gonna have to perform my duty. Don't take it personally when it happens, kiddo, it's just how the facility does things around here."

The thought of what could possibly happen sends shivers down Coral's spine. She didn't think that such a boring voice could freak her out so much until this point. But eventually, she checks the C.Q. Card. The front of it had text that read, "C.Q. Points: 1,000," alongside text that showed the test fee of 100 and the test reward of 600. Coral then decides not to delay it any longer, slowly scanning the C.Q. Card on the turnstile. She then gets thrown into the test chamber, landing on what seems to be a respawn point.

"Uh, hello? Is anyone there?" Coral asks to what is basically thin air. She lets out a large sigh, continuing onward with her Splattershot in hand. Eventually, she comes across a giant pillar, wondering what it could mean, before getting a call from a spectating Cap'n Cuttlefish.  
"Heya, Cap! Have you seen anything weird around this vicinity?" Coral questions.

"No, not really. Although, I do spy an Octoling up on that pillar. Maybe you can ask them for help!"

Cuttlefish turns out to be right, as an Octoling looms over Coral. This Octoling doesn't seem to want to play games, however, as it starts shooting at Coral with its Octoshot, jumping off of the pillar.

Coral notices this opposing behavior and immediately shoots behind herself, going in octopus form to retreat behind cover. The Octoling looks around the vicinity, standing there, which gives Coral a perfect opportunity to throw a Splat Bomb to its feet. By the time it notices, the Splat Bomb explodes, disposing of the enemy Octoling.

"Good work, Coral! Now move onwards, and be vigilant. You never know what might jump out at you," Cuttlefish warned over the call.

Coral takes this to heart, and moves further onwards until she comes across two pillars. Just like the pillar before them, these have their own Octolings, one with a Roller and one with a Brella. The Roller Octoling jumps down first, though Coral manages to throw a Splat Bomb before they landed, disposing of them easily. Then comes the Brella user, who immediately starts blocking every one of Coral's shots and bombs, forcing her to hide behind cover once again. Coral then decides to try throwing a Splat Bomb over the Octoling. This manages to distract it, allowing Coral to splat it when its back was turned.

"Okay, one more section to go, right? What could possibly come at me next?" Coral cockily asked herself, moving into the final room. This final pillar's Octoling, a Dualie user, immediately jumps down, forcing Coral to move back. This Octoling decides to play its trump card, pushing itself into the air with an Inkjet. Coral's shots end up being unable to reach it, so she's forced to dodge the Inkjet's missiles. Unfortunately, she gets grazed by one before she manages to hide behind the pillar, having taken serious damage.. Coral then notices that the pillar's backside is covered in pink ink. She looks up at the top of the tower to see… a pink Octoling boy, disposing of the Inkjet-propelled enemy! The young boy jumps down, landing right in front of Coral. His single-tentacled hair bobs up and down upon landing.

"Are you okay, miss?" the boy concernedly questioned.

"Um, yeah, I seemed to heal pretty quickly. Thank you for taking care of… whatever that exactly was," Coral states to the boy.

"Oh, it's no problem at all. The name's Tidalis, by the way. Although, according to that phone, I'm known as applicant 10,007," the boy mentions.

"And I'm Coral, applicant 10,008 for this testing thing," Coral replies, faintly smiling.

By the time the two had made their introductions, the door to what seemed like a button has already opened.

"Now!" they both shout as they run towards the button, slapping their hands on it at around the same time.

 _ **TEST PASSED!**_


	3. Technical Difficulties

After the test was over, Tidalis and Coral end up being teleported back to the station platform. C.Q. Cumber was nowhere to be seen. Although, Cap'n Cuttlefish has stayed on the platform, now wearing a face of confusion at the sight of the pink-haired Octoling boy.  
"Now hold on just a second…" Cuttlefish states, looking over at Coral, "Coral, weren't you the only one that went in there? Because I don't remember seeing this boy enter that test."  
"Well, I saw a silhouette of somebody in there before I started the test. Perhaps that was him," Coral deducts.

Tidalis starts shuffling in place for about a few seconds. He then takes a deep breath and holds out his hand. "G-Greetings, mister. My name is Tidalis Whala, and it's a p-pleasure to meet you," he nervously greets.

"And I'm Cap'n Craig Cuttlefish, although you can just call me Craig for the time being," Cuttlefish responds, "And I gotta say, you helping Coral out back there was highly appreciated!"  
However, the greetings are cut short as the group is met by a blinding light. When it subsides, a mysterious object gently floats down from above. Coral, by sheer instinct alone, holds out her hands, allowing the object to land on them. Upon closer inspection, the object seems to look like an eraser, designed after an orange-haired Inkling girl.  
"The design…" Coral thought, "It looks so mesmerizing. Don't know what use it has, though."  
Tidalus decided to examine the object himself. "Perhaps we'll find some use for it later on," he states, walking over to the train, "Until then, I think we should get back onto the train and rest up for the tests to come."  
"Sounds like a fine idea to me! What about you, Coral?" Cuttlefish asks, also walking over to the train.  
"It seems like a logical course of action. I don't want to gain any fatigue from this, after all," Coral replies, joining her two comrades as they all enter the train car. Coral and Cuttlefish end up sitting across from Tidalis, but they're still pretty close nonetheless. Coral, with the mysterious object still in hand, lets out a loud yawn, eventually falling asleep as Cuttlefish and Tidalis chat with each other. However, Coral's dreams hang up on a forgone memory…

* * *

 _At the Octarian base in Octo Valley…_

A young, turquoise Octoling seems to be watching surveillance feeds, distraught at the green ink that was spread practically everywhere. On one of these feeds is a female Inkling, wearing the outfit of a "Hero."

"Damnit! That Squidbeak agent got through again!" the Octoling yelled, quickly starting to shake in what seems to be fear, "Oh, I'm really gonna get it from the elites now!"  
As if on cue, the door is slammed open, revealing angry-looking Octoling soldiers. Immediately, they start trashing the room, tearing up various blueprints and works-in-progress, before pinning the young techie against the wall.  
"Alright, Corallos, listen up! This is the 5th time in a row that you've failed to warn us about that Squidbeak scum," one of the elites explained, "You know what happens if you manage to fail for a 6th time, right?"  
"W-What happens?" Corallos asks in fear.  
"Well, let's just say this: Not only are we going to be angry, but…" the elites decide to let go of Corallos, "so will His Majesty, Octavio. Just know that next time, got it?"  
"G-Got it…" Corallos weakly stated as the elite Octolings left the room.  
The absolute carnage was certainly apparent, although some of the room was still intact. Corallos, after seeing that a specific blueprint, showing an enhanced Octostomp, was still in mint condition, let out a sigh of relief. "At least the Neo Octostomp plans are in perfect shape. At least…"  
The carnage to her workspace eventually caused her to sob. "All this hard work… It's gone, and I'll never be able to make up for it…"  
This sobbing and mumbling would continue all throughout the night.

* * *

This memory eventually causes Coral to wake up, her eyes wide open. However, Tidalis and Cap'n Cuttlefish seem to have both fallen asleep. Coral then just decides to look at the mysterious object from before, thinking, "Is this what caused that… cursed dream to pop up in my mind? Was that even a dream, or was it something that happened?"

Coral seemed so confused at what was going on, even after trying to think of a logical explanation for about a half-hour. Eventually, she decides to just give up, falling asleep soon after.

* * *

Author's Note:  
I sincerely apologize for the shorter length of this chapter, I kinda had a bit of a creative blockade for this one. Future chapters will be longer than this, I promise.


	4. Bumper Baller Mayhem

C.Q. Cumber's monotone voice yells loudly over the intercom, "Now arriving at 'Roll Out Station.' Please exit the train whenever you're ready, testers."  
This makes Coral wake up with a jump, her eyes wide open. "Jeez, could you possibly be any louder, C.Q.? Sudden yelling ain't my thing, after all," Coral exclaimed, noticeably miffed.  
"Ah, Coral, I see you're finally awake," Tidalis observes, "The Cap'n and I found this walkie-talkie, and he hopes that he can contact this 'Agent 3' guy from his squad."  
"I don't just hope it, I know that we can contact Agent 3! We just gotta fiddle with this doohickey here for a bit," Cuttlefish explains, seemingly finding a signal, "Oh, I think we may have found them! Agent 3, are you there? Come in, Agent 3!"  
The little LED on the device's antenna suddenly glows a bright pink as music begins to emanate from its speaker.  
"Yo, mic check, one-two! Who the heck are _you?!_ " a feminine, child-like voice yells.  
"Woah, excuse me?!" Cuttlefish replies, shocked at the sudden rudeness as the LED glows a blueish-green hue.  
"Pearl! Didn't anyone tell you to respect your elders?" a more mature, womanly voice emits from the speaker.  
Coral takes a hold of the device with a confused look on her face. "Now hold on just a sec, just who might you be?" she questions.  
"I could ask the same from you, dude. Anyway, I'm Pearl, but you can call me M.C. Princess!" the high-pitched voice exclaims, "My deets? I'm short and sweet! I spit that fire, make posers perspire."  
Coral and Tidalis both look at each other with _very_ confused looks on their faces, wondering what shenanigans Pearl is trying to pull.  
"Step to my game, and I'll bring the pain. I'm never shook, because I'm OFF THE HOOK!" Pearl continues.  
"Oho! Check it kid, are you stepping up with a rap battle?" Cuttlefish asks, gaining a look of confidence on his face, "MC Craig in the house!"  
Coral lets out a sigh. "Craig, please don't do this," Coral pleads.  
"Oh, come on, Coral. It can't be that bad, right?" Tidalis assures to Cora as Cuttlefish starts rapping.  
"Call me Cap'n Cuttlefish, but not because I cuddle fish. Smooth like butta, bet ya wish you could start a flow like this!" Cuttlefish starts before the train car just becomes filled with rapping between him and Pearl. Coral seems slightly disgusted at this, while Tidalis is admiring the ongoing rap battle. This goes on for a few minutes, much to the chagrin of Coral.  
"Okay, you two, that's enough!" the womanly voice exclaims, "Mr. Cuttlefish, was it? We found a radio here on Mount Nantai and heard your transmission. Where are you calling from?"  
"Wait, Mount Nantai? Why, that's near Octo Valley!" Cuttlefish states, "Coral and I were near there, but someone seems to have shoved us deep underground."  
"I see… so you and this… Coral person don't know where you are? Sorry to hear about that," the voice replies, "But don't worry! From this point onwards, you'll have me, Marina, aka DJ Hyperfresh, to support you! I'll get to work analyzing the surroundings, and hopefully I can be of some help to you."  
"I don't really know what's going on, but hang tight. We got ya!" Pearl assures.  
"Alrighty, we're off to pass some sorta tests and make our way to the promised land! Isn't that right, Coral? Tidalis?" Cuttlefish turns towards the two Octolings, who both nod in response, "And by we, I mean you two! Time to get after it!"  
The two nod to each other before exiting the train, curious as to what this next test will entail.

* * *

Coral and Tidalis make their way onto the station platform, each equipping the Baller via the equipper. They both run over to the leftmost wall, which C.Q. Cumber has stuck himself onto.  
"Greetings, 10,007 and 10,008. In this test, you have to make it to the goal before time runs out, all while using the Baller," C.Q. explains, "You can gain more time by reaching the various checkpoints strewn throughout the course. The clock will start once you both pass through the turnstile."  
Coral turns towards Tidalis, asking, "Are you ready for this, Tidalis?"  
"You bet I am!" Tidalis replies, "But what about you?"  
"I think I'm ready. I've never used a Baller for an obstacle course before, so it should be interesting! I'm sure we'll be fine as long as we don't bump into each other," Coral exclaims, scanning her C.Q. Card.  
"Hey, don't get too cocky, now," Tidalis suggests, scanning his own C.Q. Card, allowing for the turnstile to throw the two of them into the test. As soon as they land on the checkpoint, their Ballers activate, starting the 1-minute timer.  
Tidalis immediately starts heading toward the nearby dash tracks, Coral trailing close behind. The dash tracks zip them up to a platform that leads up to a series of moving platforms. Coral moves ahead, jumping from platform to platform until she gets to another set of dash tracks to zoom up to another platform. Tidalis then follows suit, getting to the next platform.  
On this platform, the two see an Octotrooper, which Coral promptly destroys before the two get a call, which seems to be from Marina.  
"Hey, Coral is it? I noticed something strange about that Octotrooper. There didn't seem to be any signs of vitality from it!" Marina explains.  
"Wait, how is that even possible? That thing was moving like it was alive, so what's up with that?" Coral questions.  
"I've no clue what's going on, but we should continue onwards! Time's ticking, after all," Tidalis exclaims, jumping onto the dash tracks to climb the wall, with Coral following right behind him.  
The two land on the next checkpoint, adding more time to the timer. Coral notices the ink piston and carefully moves forward, with Tidalis close behind. Coral and Tidalis try jumping over the piston, but it ends up bumping Coral into the abyss. Tidalis climbs up the wall before noticing that Coral had disappeared.  
"Coral?! Coral, where are you?! Coral!" Tidalis panickedly yells. The checkpoint then starts to respawn Coral, activating her Baller for her. This allows Coral to pass the obstacle with little effort.  
"Coral! I was so worried that you'd-" Tidalis starts.  
"Don't worry, Tidalis. I know how these checkpoints work, so there's no need for worrying at the moment," Coral assured, "Let's go on and get to the button, okay?"  
Tidalis nods before moving onwards, jumping over the ink pistons. Coral hurriedly gets through the obstacle, catching up to Tidalis, who was already at the final checkpoint.  
"Please, wait up next time, okay?" Coral pleads.  
"Hehe, sorry. I get a bit impatient sometimes. Let's continue, shall we?" Tidalis suggests.  
Coral nods before moving forwards, jumping from platform to platform with Tidalis by her side. The two make sure to avoid the two moving ink pistons, jumping onto the dash tracks. They get zipped to the goal, which is protected by two Octotroopers. They promptly explode their Ballers, getting rid of the enemies and the barrier around the button, allowing the two to press down on it.  
TEST PASSED!


End file.
